It may be the middle of summer, but School Notes this week brings a few updates, including a follow up on the status of McKinney Academy‘s application for charter school status, special accreditation for Woodlawn School, greetings from Poland by the principal at Davidson I.B. and a report on the Bailey Band trip to New York City.

We hate to mention the start of school already, but our calendar offers a listing of open houses and start dates for area schools.

WHO’S THAT READING ABOUT DAVIDSON?

Dr. Jo Karney checked her email after a morning class on the history of Poland.

Why, it’s Dr. Jo Karney, principal of Davidson I.B. Middle.

Dr. Karney spent much of the summer in Poland, on a Fulbright Fellowship.  (See our previous coverage, “Honors for IB principal.”)

She took classes at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, the second oldest university in Europe.

“This study abroad has been amazing!” she reported via e-mail and will no doubt have much to share with I.B. students this fall.

MCKINNEY ACADEMY AWAITS AUG. 6 STATE VOTE

McKinney Academy is still awaiting a vote by the state Board of Education on whether it can convert from a private school to a state charter.

The academy, located on Armour Street in Davidson, is among seven finalists for provisional charter status, and the only private school still under consideration.   Dr. Andrea McKinney, the school’s founder, said she expects a vote  at the state board’s Aug. 6 meeting in Raleigh. A vote was originally scheduled for the board’s July 9 meeting, but ended up getting postponed for one month.

The state board’s Leadership for Innovation Committee interviewed seven finalists and recommended the following three schools for the coveted charter status: Lake Lure Classical, Rutherford County; Henderson Collegiate, Vance County; and Bear Grass Charter, Martin County.  However, Dr. McKinney said the state board will be looking at all seven finalists when it awards the final three slots.

North Carolina has a cap of 100 charter schools, though a bill before the state Senate could expand that to 106.

McKinney Academy currently serves grades K-6, with an expected enrollment of about 160 in the fall.  The school, which also has a preschool program, is seeking to expand to K-8 grades by the year 2014.

WOODLAWN EARNS NEW ACCREDITATION

Woodlawn School is now an accredited member of the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

Accreditation required compliance with quality standards, an evaluation by an outside group of peer professionals, and setting up a school plan focused on strategic improvement and student performance. Accreditation is voluntary and must be renewed each year. In addition, the self-study process and peer review visit must be repeated every five years for continued accreditation.

“In today’s world of accountability in schooling, accreditation serves as a critical component of a school’s demonstrated effectiveness and ability to provide successful schooling for children,” the school noted in a press release.  “A school that is able to achieve accreditation demonstrates a commitment to a process that requires the school to meet a set of rigorous, research-based standards; to engage in a program of continuous school improvement; and to demonstrate quality assurance to its stakeholders through self-evaluation and peer review.”

SAIS dates to 1903, with the start of the Mid-South Association of Independent Schools, which merged with another association in 1986 to form the present-day SAIS. Established in 1895, SACS is a non-governmental, voluntary organization that accredits more than 13,000 public and non-public institutions from early-childhood to university. Today, SACS is the largest accrediting agency in the world. The current SAIS-SACS partnership offers schools a process for accreditation.

Founded in 2002 with 7 students, Woodlawn School now has 153 students.  In September, Woodland will expand at both ends to offer both first grade and 12th grade. Then in the fall of 2010, Woodlawn intends to add kindergarten, which will require an additional building on the school campus, but will allow Woodlawn to expand into a full K-12 program.  Woodlawn offers a college-preparatory education with emphasis on lifelong learning. The school is located one mile north of Davidson College.

BAILEY BAND IN THE BIG APPLE

The Bailey Middle School Band traveled to New York City at the end of the school year.

“The performance was magical,” said Band Director Ruth Petersen.  “The students could not have performed better. I am so very proud of them. They may not all understand the magnitude of what they did (on May 29) but someday they can tell their children and grandchildren that they performed at Lincoln Center.”

Once the school year was over and things had quieted down, Band Director Ruth Petersen had time to write up a full report of the trip:

At midnight on May 28th, 31 Bailey Band members, 10 chaperones, and 1 band director left for New York City. The Bailey Middle School Performing Band had practiced for weeks for the performance of a lifetime – Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. The time had come to put all of that practice to the test to help celebrate the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration with the Youth Masters Series. Despite it being the middle of the night, the students and parents were filled with great anticipation and excitement.

Bailey Band performing at Alice Tully Hall.

After twelve hours of traveling on a charter bus packed full of folding chairs, music stands, instruments, luggage, snacks, bottled water, and percussion equipment, the group arrived at The Big Apple. The first day was spent at Central Park, the American Museum of Natural History, and Times Square. Finally, after 21 hours, the hotel was a welcome sight.

After a great night’s sleep, the band was ready to perform at the newly-renovated Alice Tully Hall in the Lincoln Center. Warming up on stage, the band marveled at the acoustics as did the parents and chaperones in the audience. Ready to begin, the band was introduced and performed three selections: Land of Liberty March, Echoes of the Civil War, and Lincoln Celebration Overture. The pieces reflected the theme of the Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration.

The band was then treated to a 30-minute clinic with Mr. Michael Davis, renowned composer and trombonist.

Band members posed with their new placque commemorating their performance in the Lincoln Center.

After visiting Rockefeller Center and Top of the Rock, the group went on a dinner cruise with all of the students who performed at the Youth Masters Series that morning at Alice Tully Hall. They enjoyed seeing the Statue of Liberty and the New York City skyline while dancing and eating. The band gave an encore performance at Battery Park that evening.

The third day was full of sightseeing including ferry rides to the Ellis Island Immigration Museum and to Liberty Island to see the Statue of Liberty. Many of the students and chaperones were able to find members of their families listed on the Immigrant Wall of Honor. The last stops included the World Trade Center site, dinner at Planet Hollywood, and a Broadway Show – The Phantom of the Opera.

Heading home on the fourth day, the students and chaperones were tired but filled with many memories of a wonderful trip and the performance of a lifetime.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

• WEDNESDAY, AUG. 5 AND TUESDAY, AUG. 11 – Bronco Round-up sessions for incoming 6th graders at Bailey Middle School will be held at 10 a.m. and 1:3o p.m. on both scheduled days.  PTA representatives will be in attendance, and school items will be available for purchase.
• SUNDAY, AUG. 16 – Children’s Community School will hold an open house for parents from 2-3:3o for Middle Schoolers, and from 3:30 – 5 for elementary school age students.
• MONDAY, AUG. 17 – First day of school for Children’s Community School for all but kindergarteners.
• MONDAY, AUG. 17 – 3rd Annual Viking Orientation for rising freshmen at North Mecklenburg High. Students with last names A-L should attend in the morning, 8-11:30 a.m., while names M-Z should attend the afternoon session, noon – 3:30 p.m.  Students will receive fall schedules, receive a tour of the campus and more.  Parents can attend the “Loosening the Leash” session at 11 a.m. or 3 p.m.
• TUESDAY, AUG. 18 – Back to School night for McKinney Academy.  Parents and incoming students can visit classrooms from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
• WEDNESDAY, AUG. 19 – Bailey Middle School will hold an open house for 6th graders from 3-4:30, followed by an open house for 7th and 8th graders from 5-6:30.  Students will be able to meet and greet teachers and get schedules.
• THURSDAY, AUG. 20 – First day of School for the McKinney Academy.
• THURSDAY, AUG. 20 – Davidson Elementary School will hold an open house from 4:30 – 6:30.  Further down South Street, Davidson IB Middle will hold an open house from 5-6:40 p.m. for 6th graders, and from 7-7:45 p.m. for 7th and 8th graders.  Finally, in Huntersville, North Meck High will hold an open house for rising freshmen and new students from 6:30 – 8 p.m.
• TUESDAY, AUG. 25 – First day of school for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.  This includes Davidson Elementary, Bailey Middle, Davidson IB Middle and North Mecklenburg High.
• MONDAY, AUG. 31 – First day of school for Woodlawn School.

Send calendar items and press releases about local school news to us at: lauriedennis@bellsouth.net